Opening Bell: 05.10.12
Greek Socialist Make Last-Ditch Attempt At Government (Reuters)
With new elections likely in three or four weeks and Athens, due to run out of cash in June, needing to impose new austerity measures in exchange for funds, the financial daily Kerdos to warn on its front page: "Time is running out."
Bernanke Gets 75% Approval From Investors (Bloomberg)
Bernanke, whom Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he wouldn’t reappoint for running too lax a monetary policy, receives a favorable assessment from three of four of those surveyed in the latest Bloomberg Global Poll. Respondents to the survey of investors, analysts and traders who are Bloomberg subscribers also rate U.S. financial markets highly: 46 percent say they will be among the best performers over the next year, double the percentage that select China, in second place.
Goldman Had One Day Of Losses In First Quarter (WSJ)
The loss was up to $25 million, the firm said. In contrast, Goldman reported 24 days of trading gains of $100 million or more.
US Jobless Claims Decline (Bloomberg)
Jobless claims dropped by 1,000 to 367,000 in the period ended May 5, in line with the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey and the lowest since the end of March, the Labor Department said today in Washington. The number of people on unemployment benefit rolls was the smallest since July 2008.
Goldman Redeems $250 Million Hedge-Fund Stakes on Volcker (Bloomberg)
Under the Volcker rule provision of the Dodd-Frank financial-reform law, federally backed banks are required to limit their investments in private equity and hedge funds to no more than 3 percent of the fund or 3 percent of the bank’s Tier 1 capital. Goldman Sachs’s fund stakes were worth $17.2 billion at the end of March and the firm was committed to providing an additional $7.77 billion to the funds, the filing showed. “We currently expect to redeem up to approximately 10 percent of certain hedge funds’ total redeemable units per quarter over 10 consecutive quarters, beginning March 2012 and ending June 2014,” Goldman Sachs said in the filing. “In addition, we have limited the firm’s initial investment to 3 percent for certain new funds.”
John Manning, a Bloods gang member, told police outside City Hall he wanted to fight Mayor Michael Bloomberg (NYDN)
John Manning, 27, of Newark, a gang member with 12 arrests in the Garden State, showed up at the security entrance of the government building while the mayor held an outdoor press conference on the city’s new bike share program on Monday. “I want to take on the mayor in a fight. Man vs. man, and knock him out,” he told cops at the Broadway and Murray St. entrance around 11:30 and to attend the event. When he was asked to leave, Manning refused, saying, “I'll wait as long as it takes.” He was arrested and charged with trespassing and obstruction of government administration.
Five Arrested At Bank of America Protest (AP)
Five people have been arrested as they tried to force their way into the annual Bank of America shareholders' meeting in Charlotte, and police used a new ordinance to declare the gathering an extraordinary event subject to special restrictions. Hundreds gathered on the streets Wednesday morning as dozens of police officers worked to contain the protest. Johnny Rosa of Framingham, Mass., was one of those arrested. Before being taken into custody, Rosa said his home had been foreclosed. He wanted to tell shareholders the foreclosure was wrong because he wanted to make payments. By law, if a gathering in Charlotte is deemed an extraordinary event, authorities can designate areas where people aren't allowed to carry backpacks, magic markers and other items.
Brian Gets Broiled At BofA Meeting (NYP)
“Let Bank of America take care of America,” one attendee yelled at Moynihan. “This is America. Listen to the people in this room.” One shareholder even called the bank “a felon.” “We abide by the law every day,” Moynihan shot back.
Citi’s Buiter: Time for 'Helicopter Money Drops' (CNBC)
“We think central banks in the U.S., euro area, Japan, and the U.K. could and should do much more” to stimulate growth, said the firm’s economists, led by Willem Buiter. Yes, these institutions, which have already pushed their respective interest rates to historic lows and made unprecedented efforts to buy government bonds and other securities, are not being aggressive enough, the firm argues.
Extremely rare calico-colored lobster found at Massachusetts restaurant (NYDN)
The unusually colored “calico” lobster is marked by bright orange and yellow spots. But the extraordinary find could have easily ended up in someone's belly at Jasper White's Summer Shack restaurant in Cambridge. “We happened to be cleaning the tank and I happened to be there," White said. "One of my guys said, 'Chef, look at this lobster,' and from across the room I knew it was special." The lobster is destined for the Biomes Marine Biology Center in Rhode Island, with a stopover at Boston's New England Aquarium, which released a photo on Wednesday. White named the lobster Calvin.